Source:REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
[Saba Sports News] After the first practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen bluntly stated that the car’s speed is not fast enough, although he is fairly satisfied with the overall performance. In the two practice sessions on Friday, Verstappen finished second both times, losing out to championship rival Lando Norris. This means that if he wants to turn things around on Sunday and win his fifth world championship, the speed of the RB21 car still needs improvement.
Verstappen noted that the car is in decent shape in general, with the current setup being within the correct range, but there is still a gap to reach their targets. He emphasized that the car is somewhat difficult to handle on bumpy sections, and both single-lap speed and long-distance rhythm need enhancement.
In response, Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remained calm, pointing out that despite the immense pressure, the team remains confident. Lambiase revealed that the team focused more on long-distance simulations with a full fuel load during the practice sessions rather than pure single-lap speed, which will be key to their performance on Sunday. However, based on the data collected on Friday, the tire performance was weaker than expected, especially with noticeable wear on the front-right tire. Lambiase explained that they initially anticipated Abu Dhabi might be a one-stop race, but the current wear situation has added uncertainty.